Level 5 & 6
Week 9
Welcome to another great week in 5/6! Please find our curriculum updates, upcoming events and reminders below.
Literacy
Reading
This week, our reading focus will centre around the mentor texts Flood and Drought by Jackie French. Students will explore the rich vocabulary used throughout both texts, as well as the powerful sentence structures and use of personification to create vivid imagery. We will also discuss how texts can be persuasive, not just entertaining or informative. To conclude, students will compare and contrast the two texts, identifying key similarities and differences in themes, language and impact.
What you can do at home:
Encourage your child to talk about Flood and Drought and the language used in each text. You might ask questions like, “What words helped you imagine the scene?” or “Did any parts feel powerful or emotional?” You could also look for examples of personification or interesting vocabulary in books you read together and discuss how they add meaning to the story.
Writing
Students will be finishing their persuasive advertising pieces. Using their plans for rebranded classroom items, they will publish both a written component and a visual advertisement. This will allow students to showcase their understanding of persuasive language, audience targeting and creative presentation.
What you can do at home:
Ask your child to share their persuasive advertisement and explain how they are trying to convince their audience. You might ask, “What makes your product appealing?” or “What words or slogans did you use to persuade people?” Encouraging them to practise “selling” their idea aloud can help strengthen their confidence and clarity.
Numeracy
Level 5
Grade 5 students will focus on developing their understanding of multiplication and division. They will explore how to apply these operations in a range of problem-solving contexts, with an emphasis on solving multi-step questions. Students will also work on representing their thinking in different ways, helping to build a deeper understanding of multiplicative thinking and how it can be used in real-world situations.
Level 6
Grade 6 students will continue developing their understanding of the order of operations. This week, they will extend their knowledge to include more complex number sentences involving brackets and indices. Students will focus on applying the correct sequence of steps while solving problems, building accuracy and confidence through structured practise and problem-solving tasks.
What you can do at home:
Support your child by giving them simple number problems to solve and asking them to explain their thinking. Questions like “What do you do first?” or “Why did you choose that step?” can help reinforce their understanding of the order of operations, especially when brackets and indices are involved.
CBL
Big Idea: Community
With the Colour Run taking place this Thursday, students will spend the week completing final preparations for the event. This includes finalising their promotional materials and organising games for the Twilight Games. It’s been fantastic to see students take on leadership roles and contribute positively to this whole-school event.
What you can do at home:
Talk with your child about the Colour Run and the role they are playing in preparing for the event. Encouraging them to explain their ideas, contributions and responsibilities can help build confidence and reinforce the importance of teamwork and leadership.
Wellbeing
This week, we will welcome Liz Penny, who will be working with each of the Grade 5/6 classes to run a wellbeing session focused on student attitudes towards school. These sessions will provide an opportunity for students to share their thoughts and perspectives, helping to capture student voice and strengthen our understanding of how we can best support their learning and wellbeing.
Important Dates & Reminders
March
26th – Colour Run
30th – Easter Raffle
31st – School Photos
April
1st – Easter Bonnet Parade
2nd – Curriculum Day
Reminders
- Homework: Please continue to support your child in completing their weekly homework tasks and returning them on time.
- iPads: Ensure iPads come to school fully charged each day, with required apps installed and enough storage available for learning tasks.